USA outlasts Canada in record All-Star game

Jan 27, 2009 - 4:18 AM WORCESTER, Massachusetts (Ticker) -- Jared Ross of the Philadelphia Phantoms had a goal and an All-Star game-record six assists, earning MVP honors as the Planet USA AHL All-Stars rallied for a 14-11 victory over the Canadian AHL All-Stars in a record-breaking contest at the DCU Center on Monday.

Jeff Taffe of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins had three goals and two assists and the Springfield Falcons' Ryan Potulny notched two tallies and four assists for Planet USA, which scored an AHL All-Star game-record nine goals in the third period to erase an 8-5 deficit.

Taffe tied the contest at 11-11 with 5:42 remaining and Chris Bourque of the Hershey Bears scored the go-ahead goal just 48 seconds later. Bourque easily slid home the puck from the right side of the crease after a perfect pass from Artem Anisimov of the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Potulny and the Providence Bruins' Martins Karsums, who had two tallies and three assists, each added empty-net goals to seal the victory for the Planet USA All-Stars.

Corey Locke of the Houston Aeros set an AHL All-Star game-record with four goals and Teddy Purcell of the Manchester Monarchs had five assists to lead the Canadian side. It was the second time in All-Star history that two hat tricks occurred in the same game.

Derek MacKenzie of the Syracuse Crunch and Mark Mancari of the Portland Pirates each had one goal and two assists and Phantoms' defenseman Danny Syvret dished out three assists for Canada.

The 25 total goals were also an All-Star game record, breaking the mark of 24 set in 2002.